Gillespie sporting equipment mount

ABSTRACT

A device designed to be screwed into a tree or other wooden object and used to mount sporting equipment including optical equipment—such as a spotting scope, telescope, binoculars, or other optical equipment—or to mount firearms.

CROSS REFERENCE To RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of a Provisional Patent Application,Application No. 60/510,219, filing date of Oct. 9, 2003.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

This application is not based on any federally sponsored research anddevelopment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many devices designed to allow a person to attach sportingequipment, including optical equipment such as spotting scopes, cameras,binoculars, or firearms to a tree or other wooden object. All of theseprior designs utilize cumbersome and complex straps, wires, or othersimilar attaching means. These complex attaching means make the previousdesigns difficult to carry into the field, difficult to installsecurely, difficult to remove efficiently, and subject to increasedmaintenance problems.

The Gillespie Sporting Equipment Mount is superior to all these previousdesigns in that it is designed to provide:

-   -   a compact size allowing it to easily fit in or on the smallest        backpack, daypack, or fanny-pack, and can even be easily        attached to the users' belt for easy access;    -   a rock solid attachment to the tree or other wooden object; and    -   extreme simplicity of use. It requires no assembly and has no        part that requires adjustment.

The following patents have all been reviewed and the Gillespie SportingEquipment Mount is superior to all devices in that it is extremelycompact in size, lightweight, and uses no attaching means other than theself-contained screw on one end of the shaft which makes it extremelyeasy to use. This provides a device that maximizes portability whileminimizing cumbersome and complex straps as in the competing deviceslisted below. Pat. No. NAME DATE 6,726,163 Eppard Apr. 27, 20046,349,905 Mills Feb. 26, 2002 6,021,984 Mills Feb. 08, 2000 5,622,342Mills Apr. 22, 1997 5,310,151 Engel May 10, 1994 4,913,391 Klipp Apr.03, 1990

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment of the Gillespie Sporting Equipment Mountcomprises a plurality of components. In their broadest context, suchcomponents include:

-   -   A shaft, tube, rod, or other similar elongated piece of material        suitable for the below stated purpose;    -   Such shaft having two ends;    -   Affixed to one end of such shaft is a screw;    -   Such screw protrudes laterally from the shaft along the shafts'        longitudinal axis and protrudes to such an extent that the shaft        can be securely screwed into a tree or other wooden object;    -   A flange, perpendicular to the shaft, and located at the        shaft/screw interface. Such flange used to provide stability for        the unit when it is screwed into the tree or other wooden object    -   A “cover” can be used for the screw when the device itself is        not in use;    -   Affixed to the opposite end of the shaft from the screw is a        standard fixed or adjustable optical mount or a “U” shaped gun        mount described below;    -   The shaft can continue through the optical mount for a distance        that will enable the protruding end of the shaft to be used to        stabilize the device as its being screwed into the tree;    -   The device can also combine both the optical mount and gun mount        so that, between the screw end of the shaft and the optical        mount, the shaft is bent or fabricated into a “U” shape in such        a manner as to accept the forward stock of a rifle or other gun.    -   The Sporting Equipment Mount is made of such material as to be        lightweight and durable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the shaft, on one end of which is the screw and on theother end is located standard adjustable optical mount.

FIG. 2 shows the shaft with the rigid stabilizing flange.

FIG. 3 shows the shaft continuing past the optical mount for asufficient distance to allow the protruding end of the shaft to be usedto stabilize the shaft as it is being screwed into the tree.

FIG. 4 shows the shaft, on one end of which is the screw and on theother end is located a “U” shaped bend to hold a firearm.

FIG. 5 shows the combined optical mount and gun mount. Specifically,including the shaft, on one end of which is the screw and on the otherend is located the optical mount, with the “U” shaped bend locatedbetween the two ends of the shaft.

FIG. 6 shows a cover to be used positioned on the screw when the deviceis not in use.

FIG. 7 shows the device screwed into a tree.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings, the preferred embodiment of the GillespieSporting Equipment Mount comprises a plurality of components. Suchcomponents are individually configured and correlated with respect toeach other to provide a device that can be used to mount sportingequipment, including optical equipment such as spotting scopes,binoculars, cameras, or other optical devices, and to mount firearmswhile shooting. Specifically:

-   -   The screw cover (FIG. 6) is removed from the screw and can        placed on the end of the shaft that protrudes through the        standard mount;    -   The screw is placed on a tree or other suitable object and the        entire device is screwed into the tree so that the stabilizing        flange is placed directly against the tree and the device        extends horizontally from the tree; (FIG. 7.)    -   For the embodiment not-containing the “U” shaped gun mount, a        handle can be located on the shaft for ease of screwing the        device into a tree;    -   For the embodiment containing the “U” shaped gun mount, the “U”        shaped bend is used as a handle with which to screw the device        into the tree. (FIGS. 4 and 5.)    -   A spotting scope or other optical device is placed on the        standard mount; (FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.)    -   For the combined optical mount and gun mount (FIG. 5.), after a        suitable target has been located with the scope, the forward        stock of a gun is placed into the “U” shape of the device to        stabilize the gun while shooting;    -   After use, the device is removed from the tree by un-screwing;        and    -   The screw cover is replaced.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structurescomprising aspects of the invention, it will be manifest to thoseskilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of theparts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theunderlying invention concept, and that the same is not limited to theparticular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicatedby the scope of the claims that follow.

1. A portable device to hold and improve the aiming of sportingequipment comprising: a. a shaft, tube, rod, or other similar elongatedpiece of material of such strength and durability to be suitable for thebelow stated purpose (shaft); b. such shaft having two ends; c. affixedto one end of such shaft is a screw of such dimensions to allow thescrew to be readily and securely screwed into a tree or other woodenobject; d. such screw protrudes laterally from the shaft along theshafts' longitudinal axis and protrudes to such an extent that the shaftcan be securely screwed into a tree or other wooden object; e. affixedto the opposite end of the shaft from the screw is a standard fixed oradjustable optical mount; (FIG. 1.)
 2. The device in claim 1 where arigid stabilizing flange, perpendicular to the shaft, is located at thescrew-shaft interface. (FIG. 2.)
 3. The device in claim 1 or 2 where theshaft continues through the optical mount for a distance that willenable the protruding end of the shaft to be used to stabilize thedevice as its being screwed into the tree; (FIG. 3.)
 4. The device inclaim 1 or 2 where, instead of the standard optical mount, the end ofthe shaft opposite from the screw is bent or fabricated into a “U” shapein such a manner as to accept the forward stock or barrel of a firearm.(FIG. 4.)
 5. The device in claims 1, 2, or 3 where, between the screwend of the shaft and the optical mount, the shaft is bent or fabricatedinto a “U” shape in such a manner as to accept the forward stock orbarrel of a firearm. (FIG. 5.)
 6. The device in claim 4 or 5 where the“U” shaped bend in the shaft is covered with a soft material to protectthe finish of the firearm.
 7. The device in claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6where a “cover” is provided for the screw when the device itself is notin use. Such cover is designed to be placed on the end of the shaftprotruding through the optical mount described in claim
 2. (FIG. 6.)